WASHINGTON (Jan. 8, 2026)-According to a new survey, the most common New Year’s Resolutions are health and financial related, with exercising more being at the top of the list.
The YouGov survey polled more than 1000 adults in December 2025, finding that about 31% said they planned to set goals or resolutions and stick to them in 2026. The most common goal was to build more physical activity into daily life. Other health related habits people said they wanted to build in the New Year included losing weight, quitting bad habits like tobacco use or eating healthier food.
Personal finance goals were also common with many saying they wanted to save more money or pay down debts starting this month.
The George Washington University has a range of experts who can talk about a variety of New Year’s Resolutions – how to develop them and how to turn a goal into a regular habit. To schedule an interview with the following experts please reach out to GW Media Relations at gwmedia
gwu [dot] edu (gwmedia[at]gwu[dot]edu).
Leigh Frame is Executive Director of the Office of Integrative Medicine and Health, Co-Founder and Associate Director of the GW Resiliency & Well-being Center at the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences. She can discuss the best ways to eat a healthier diet, reduce alcohol intake and build stress-busting routines into daily life.
Loretta DiPietro is a professor of exercise and nutrition sciences at the GW Milken Institute School of Public Health. She can discuss how to start and stick to a fitness goal and how to build more physical activity into your day.
Todd Miller, is an associate professor of exercise and nutrition sciences and the former director of the GW Weight Management and Human Performance Lab. He can offer tips on the best ways to maintain a healthy weight and the best fitness routines for sports performance and for good health.
Lorien Abroms is a professor of prevention and community health at the GW Milken Institute School of Public Health. She can talk about how text messaging and AI can help people kick a health-harming habit like smoking.
Amir Afkhami is the vice chair for Clinical Affairs and the director of Medical Student Education of the GW Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health at the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences. He can discuss how to incorporate better habits for your mental health.
Rodney Lake, Vice Dean and Director of the GW Investment Institute at the GW School of Business, can discuss personal finance goals, investment strategies and how to stick to them.